The Trials of a Gillenormand
by AMarguerite
Summary: A book- based one- shot on everyone's favorite grandfather: Monsieur Gillenormand. Admittedly, not my best, but Monsieur Gillenormand doesn't have any other fan-fics, so I wrote him one and decided I'd post it.


_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fanfic except for Jean and the doctor. Everything else belongs to Victor Hugo... except for the smei- non- existant plot, which I made up. 

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Monsieur Gillenormand was in a foul mood. Marius had had the day off from his law practice, and baby Jean had finally gotten his first tooth: both reasonable and liekly causes of cheer for the old man, yet Monsieur Gillenormand remained crotchety and irritable.  
  
Cosette was being wonderfully kind and charming, happy that her child was out of pain and that her husband was home. Her smiles lit the house far brighter then the open windows, but Monsieur Gillenormand was still angry and irked.  
  
Aunt Gillenormand had gone to church, thanking God for ending Jean's ear- splitting wails, and had returned home with her a jar of her friend Mlle Vaubois's strawberry preserves. Normally, this would please Monsieur Gillenormand, as he was fond of Mlle Vaubois's sweet strawberry preserves, yet Grandfather Gillenormand was extremely angry.  
  
He had been complaining of stomachaches and intestinal pains from the food for weeks, so Marius had asked a doctor to come in and inspect him. This was the beginning of Monsieur's Gillenormand's incredibly bad mood, though, truth be told, he woke up rather peeved to begin with.  
  
After asking Monsieur Gillenormand a series of seemingly inane questions (i.e. "How old are you?") and poking at him, the doctor finally wrote down something on a sheet of paper.  
  
"Well monsieur," the doctor murmured, pushing his spectacles up on his nose. "You are in very good health for your age. But...." The doctor hesitated before continuing.  
  
Marius, having stood off to the side during the examination, approached the doctor and his grandfather, smoothing out his black jacket. "But... what?"  
  
The doctor looked uneasily at Monsieur Gillenormand. "I'm afraid that you will have to be eating far simpler things, monsieur. Nothing too creamy or rich and your meat should be boiled. You should drink water instead of wine at meals... in fact you should not drink alcohol of any kind."  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand choked out, "No wine?" 'This would have never been accepted in the days of the ancient regime,' Monsieur Gillenormand thought irritably, utilizing the acceptable and useful trick called 'selective memory loss'.  
  
The doctor shook his head, pushing his spectacles back up his nose. "None."  
  
Marius nodded soberly. "I'll talk to the cook about it, then. Anything else?"  
  
The doctor handed Marius the sheet of paper and a bottle of powder from his black bag. "Here are the things he shouldn't be eating. Also, make sure he mixes a teaspoon of this powder into a glass of water and drinks it after every meal. I would advise a blood- letting sometime in the near future, as well."  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand was irate at being talked over, as if he was some sort of petulant child not old enough to understand anything that was going on. He told the doctor as much, and Marius's cheeks colored with slight embarrassment.  
  
The doctor merely tipped his hat at them both, and pushed his glasses up his nose. He opened the door, and walked out. Monsieur Gillenormand followed, wanting to badger the doctor into letting him still have his wine, perhaps by beating him over the head with his cane, as he used to do to Marius.  
  
This plan didn't work very well, as he nearly bumped into Cosette, who had baby Jean perched on her hip. She looked like the perfect picture of young motherhood, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness, and her cooing child at her side.  
  
"Bonjour grandfather," Cosette chirped, looking up from Jean. "How was your visit with the doctor?"  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand ground his teeth together in frustration. "Cordial. Let me see Jean."  
  
Cosette, slightly startled, kissed Jean on the head and gently handed him over. Monsieur Gillenormand leaned his cane against the wall and gently cradled his great- grandchild.  
  
Marius walked out of the room next, his blush still tinting his cheeks in a manner which became him handsomely. Cosette's eyes lit up at the sight of her husband like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.  
  
"Marius!" she exclaimed, holding out her hands to him.  
  
Marius's thoughtful, slightly embarrassed expression vanished in an instant, quickly replaced by a sincere smile that gave him a sort of added charm that convinced the viewer that he was absolutely in love with his wife. Marius took her hands in his and lightly kissed her fingertips.  
  
Cosette flushed prettily, her lips curving into a slow smile.  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand gave a dramatic sigh and tickled Jean under the chin. "It looks like you're going to get a sibling soon."  
  
Cosette looked down, embarrassed, and Marius shook his head. "Grandfather...."  
  
Jean made a sort of gurgling noise that one would acquaint with someone gargling. It turned out that Jean was just drooling. All over the lace ends of the sleeves of Monsieur Gillenormand's coat.  
  
"Gah!" Monsieur Gillenormand managed to say, holding Jean out at arm's length.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Cosette apologized, taking Jean back and cradling him gently. "He just got his first tooth, grandfather, so he is a bit...."  
  
"Wet," Monsieur Gillenormand suggested, irritably wiping off his hands with his handkerchief.  
  
Marius pulled out his own handkerchief and began mopping up the drool on his son's face. "He can't really help it, grandfather...."  
  
"And if I can't help it it's not nearly so amusing or cute is it?" Monsieur Gillenormand questioned with annoyance, not really paying attention to what he was saying.  
  
Marius and Cosette exchanged confused looks, and Jean drooled into Marius's handkerchief.  
  
Cosette wisely decided to change the subject. "Well Marius, what did monsieur le doctor say?"  
  
"The doctor wasn't fit to tend to the wounds of that cursed traitor Robespierre," Monsieur Gillenormand fumed under his breath, shoving his now wet handkerchief into the pocket of his broadly lapelled coat.  
  
Marius did not appear to hear him, or perhaps didn't care, as the political statement did not insult his hero, Napoleon. "The doctor advised we cut out some foods from grandfather's diet and get him to a blood- letting at some point in time."  
  
The corners of Cosette's mouth were tugged downward a moment. "A blood- letting? That doesn't sound very healthy to me, Marius."  
  
"Me either," Monsieur Gillenormand grumbled, yanking his cane from the wall. "And then they gave me that powder. Who knows what could be in it!? They could poison me like they did the young dauphin, God rest his soul."  
  
Marius gave an annoyed sigh, but said nothing. Cosette busied herself with Jean, who had been chewing on his father's handkerchief.  
  
"No, no Jean, we don't eat cambric handkerchiefs," Cosette scolded, delicately pulling the piece of fabric out of Jean's mouth, while keeping him on her hip with the other. Jean merely gurgled more and drooled onto the dove- grey cotton of Cosette's dress. "Darling, you'd best take your handkerchief back before Jean starts chewing on it again. I'm afraid he might choke on it."  
  
Marius patiently took the handkerchief back and tucked it in his pocket, eyes full of amusement.  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand's annoyance would've disappeared soon, as Jean began cooing again and reached out to be held by his great-grandfather, but Basque had come up the stairs, puffing and panting.  
  
"What?" Monsieur Gillenormand snapped, annoyed at not being able to hold his great- grandchild now that he wasn't drooling.  
  
"Visitor... sir," Basque gasped, leaning his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.  
  
"A visitor?" Cosette questioned, looking up from Jean with surprise.  
  
Basque nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yes. A... rep... representative... of the people... who run... Madame and Monsieur's... charity... have come."  
  
"Oh," Marius said in slight surprise. Cosette quickly tugged on his cravat so that it was perfectly straight and Monsieur Gillenormand grudgingly grabbed his cane from where he had leaned it against the wall.  
  
"Did you let our guest in, Basque?" Cosette questioned, cradling her child with infinite tenderness.  
  
Basque nodded, his breath returning to normal. "He is in the drawing room."  
  
"Merci," Cosette murmured, walking down the stairs gracefully. "Oh, Basque, please bring our guest something to eat and drink!"  
  
Marius followed after her, with a quick, "Are you coming, grandfather?" tossed at Monsieur Gillenormand.  
  
The old man hobbled to the stairs, muttering under his breath, as the couple who ran his grandchildren's charity were Jacobins who proudly boasted of their ancestor, Louis St. Just. His decent was not a pleasant one.  
  
First, his cane got caught on the edge of the rug, and he tumbled down a few steps, into Marius, who caught him, but staggered backwards dangerously for a step or two. Then, after Monsieur Gillenormand had righted himself and was rearranging the ends of his lace sleeves, the edge of his coat was caught on a splinter the banister, rendering him relatively immobile.  
  
Marius was clinging onto the banister, still trying to right himself from his grandfather's fall. Cosette had reached the end of the staircase, and looked up with concern, Jean making slightly sympathetic drooling noises.  
  
"Marius? Grandfather? Are you..?" she trailed off when an elegant young man in a fashionable coat that was only slightly tattered walked up to her, grabbed her free hand, and placed a kiss on it.  
  
"Bonjour Madame Pontmercy," the man murmured, still bent low over Cosette's delicate hand. Marius looked extremely annoyed, and Jean continued to drool.  
  
"Ah... bonjour," Cosette replied, somewhat confused. "I'm sorry Monsieur, but I was under the impression that Monsieur and Madame St. Just, the people who run the-"  
  
"I'm Monsieur Claude St. Just," the man interrupted smoothly, still not letting go of Cosette's hand despite her discreet attempts to pull away. "I am their son, and I've just been visiting them while I have a holiday from my university. They were busy with other business matters and asked me to come in their stead." He smiled at her in a charming manner and murmured, "They did tell me that you were an amazing woman, Madame, kind, generous, and utterly beautiful, but I fear that they have under-stated your charm."  
  
Marius reached his wife, and Monsieur St. Just released Cosette's hand. Marius looked vaguely infuriated, while Cosette, her cheeks tinted an embarrassed shade of pink, looked in wordless, startled surprise at her beloved husband.  
  
"This is my husband, Marius," Cosette replied, stressing the word 'husband'. "And this is our son, Jean. He's the reason I haven't been down to visit in quite some time."  
  
"I'm sorry, monsieur, but do I know you from somewhere?" Marius questioned, observing the man in front of him curiously, fine now that unnecessary, flirtatious attentions were not being paid to his wife. "I feel that I've seen you somewhere before, but I don't know where...."  
  
"That's not likely," Monsieur St. Just replied, though a momentary flash of panic crossed his face. "I've been studying far north of Paris, for several years." He tossed a debonair smile at Cosette. "Though if I had known a creature of such beauty resided in Paris, I would never have left it."  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand immediately disliked this young man. Not only was he flirting with his beloved, married, daughter- in- law, but his parents, who Monsieur Gillenormand also disliked (though perhaps without the some depth of emotion), enjoyed boasting that they were related to that infamous traitor, Louis St. Just. Monsieur Gillenormand gave his coat a particularly fierce tug, and, as luck was apparently against him that day, he ripped his coat and tumbled down that stairs, into Monsieur St. Just.  
  
"Grandfather!" Marius exclaimed, catching his grandfather's cane, and, to some extent, Monsieur Gillenormand and Monsieur St. Just. At any rate, neither of them hit the polished wood floor, though Monsieur St. Just came the closest to hitting the ground.  
  
"Are you both all right?" Cosette cried in alarm, moving quickly towards him, but still holding Jean tightly, lest he fall. "Monsieur St. Just, I'm so sorry. Are either of you hurt?"  
  
Monsieur St. Just, looking annoyed at embarrassing himself in front of a beautiful woman shook his head, with a curt, "Merci" tossed at Marius, who was helping his grandfather to stand.  
  
"Only my pride," Monsieur Gillenormand growled, looking on the ground for his cane. Marius, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned in a sheepish, amused school- boy's smile, handed his grandfather the cane. Monsieur Gillenormand yanked the cane away from him and hobbled into the sitting room, as the heel on one of his shoes had been broken in his fall.  
  
Monsieur St. Just followed, plopping himself elegantly into Monsieur Gillenormand's favorite comfortable chair. Monsieur Gillenormand nearly growled with frustration, but positioned himself in his daughter's usual, rather stiff, chair that was far behind Monsieur St. Just's. Marius and Cosette sat together on the divan, fingers purposely linked (their guest caused Marius no little jealousy, and Cosette no little discomfort), with Jean settled quite comfortably on his mother's lap.  
  
Jean had picked up one of the small rag dolls Aunt Gillenormand, in a fleeting fit of matronly maternal instinct, had sewn for him, and was occupied in drooling on it and making happy noises.  
  
"Well, Monsieur St. Just, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?" Marius inquired, politely formal, once the preliminary niceties and greetings were exchanged and Basque had brought down a pot of tea, some preserves, and some bread.  
  
"It's probably rude of me to mention... but... the, ah, money for the...."  
  
"Oh," Cosette said, deftly keeping Jean from chocking on his rag doll while looking at Monsieur St Just, and then, her husband. "Marius, darling, you should have more then enough in your desk."  
  
Marius, after kissing Cosette's hand lightly, to remind their guest whom Cosette was married to, calmly got up and walked out of the room. He returned a few moments later, with a billfold filled with neatly organized franc notes.  
  
Monsieur St. just glanced out the window, and made a vague sort of signal that meant he would be out soon or scratched his eyebrow.  
  
Marius had not noticed, and was busy counting out the required sum. He removed a handful of bills and gave it to Monsieur St. Just.  
  
"La voici," Marius said. "Here it is. I hope your stay in Paris will be pleasurable."  
  
Monsieur St. Just smiled oddly. "I'm sure it will." With that, he stood and withdrew a pistol from his pocket. "Monsieur and Madame Pontmercy- don't be alarmed. This is a perfectly normal robbery, and if you hand over the billfold, no one will get hurt."  
  
Marius looked irate. "Montparnasse! I recognized you from years ago! You're that murder and thief."  
  
Montparnasse removed his wig with a cruel smile. "It's wonderful that I'm so highly recognizable. My fame has spread throughout Paris, hasn't it?"  
  
"Pardon, but no," Marius replied with utmost courtesy. "I saw you attempt to rob my friends Enjolras and Bahorel. Bahorel stole my law textbooks and attempted to beat you over the head with them, and Enjolras glared and launched into a fearsome rhetoric. You did manage to get their money, though I didn't have any at the time, which I concede, is a point in your favor."  
  
Cosette glanced up at Montparnasse with wide, innocent blue eyes. "You do know, Monsieur, that you are robbing from a charity? May God have mercy on your soul for stealing needed funds from those less fortunate then yourself. We forgive you, of course, but I don't think the police will."  
  
Montparnasse gave an irritable sigh and held the pistol in front of Marius's heart. "Give me the money, or I'll pull the trigger." Then he paused, and realizing his advantage, added, "A kiss from the pretty Madame Pontmercy might keep me from shooting as well." He leered at her, and Cosette hesitatingly put Jean down and moved toward the robber. Her blue eyes were wide- open with shock and she seemed reluctant even to be moving.  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand was put- out, to say the very least. His grand-son was being robbed at gun- point, his clothing was messy, Jean was bawling again, his grand-daughter- in- law was being forced to kiss this strange burglar, and the robber looked like a Jacobin. So Monsieur Gillenormand, while Marius, Cosette, and Montparnasse were talking, snuck up behind Montparnasse.  
  
Cosette saw and moved even slower then she had been. When Montparnasse cocked the gun and leered at her in an even more threatening manner, she pressed her lips to his cheek. He grabbed her and was about to kiss her on the lips, and perhaps, do more, when Monsieur Gillenormand managed to get behind Montparnasse and raise his cane in a threatening manner. Monsieur Gillenormand nearly smiled when cane broke in two with a loud, satisfying 'crack' on the robber's head, and Montparnasse fell to the floor with a 'thump'. Cosette fell as well, and Marius ran to her side.  
  
"Cosette," he murmured as he helped her out from underneath the robber and held her tightly a moment. Cosette buried her face in his shoulder a moment and looked up.  
  
"Basque!" Cosette called, still locked in her husband's soothing embrace. "Please fetch a doctor and the police!"  
  
"Are you all right grandfather?" Marius asked, as he gently let go of Cosette and made sure that Montparnasse was breathing. This being taken care of, Marius picked up Montparnasse's gun and moved to the open window. As if in a dream, he aimed the gun at a burly, sinister figure playing idly with a knife who was observing the house speculatively.  
  
"Montparnasse!" the heavily muscled man shouted, seeing the shadowy figure of Marius behind the lacy drapes. "You killed 'em all, yet? I want to go get dinner."  
  
Marius pegged the weapon at said nefarious figure's head. The figure cursed loudly and collapsed onto the ground.  
  
Marius slammed the window shut and turned back to his family, Cosette once more cradling Jean. "Well, grandfather?"  
  
"I'm fine," Monsieur Gillenormand replied, feeling much better then he had before whacking Montparnasse on the head with his cane.  
  
Cosette smiled in relief, bouncing Jean up and down in her arms and making him coo happily. Marius walked towards them and hugged her fervently. "Thank you, grandfather. You saved my life!"  
  
Monsieur Gillenormand's bad mood was instantly alleviated at Cosette's grateful smile and Marius's thanks. He cheerfully picked up both halves of his cane and remarked: "Demmed Jacobin. He broke my cane." 


End file.
